ments' experience--he said hurriedly, "Then that fellow was there
all the time?"

"I reckon," returned his companion, "he stopped five minutes to
cover the driver with his double-barrel, until the two other men
got off with the treasure."

"The TWO others!" gasped Hale. "Then there were only THREE men,
and we SIX."

The man shrugged his shoulders. The passenger who had given up the
greenbacks drawled, with a slow, irritating tolerance, "I reckon
you're a stranger here?"

"I am--to this sort of thing, certainly, though I live a dozen
miles from here, at Eagle's Court," returned Hale scornfully.

"Then you're the chap that's doin' that fancy ranchin' over at
Eagle's," continued the man lazily.

"Whatever I'm doing at Eagle's Court, I'm not ashamed of it," said
Hale tartly; "and that's more than I can say of what I've done--or
HAVEN'T done--to-night. I've been one of six men over-awed and
robbed by THREE."

"As to the over-awin', ez you call it--mebbee you know more about
it than us. As to the